Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The first priority is for the politicians who have been elected to the Assembly to accept their responsibilities and put together a functioning Executive within the three-week period from the date of the election. There is a set period for that now. The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Flanagan, has gone to the North again and has had conversations this morning with Secretary of State Brokenshire. It depends on the two major parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin. A functioning Executive is one with an agreed set of objectives, principles and propositions to put forward. When Prime Minister May met the devolved assemblies in Cardiff recently, she was given a presentation by First Minister Jones from Wales and First Minister Sturgeon from Scotland but there was no presentation from Northern Ireland because there is no agreement and no leadership.

The election is over and the result is very clear and the Deputy's party has made substantial gains. It now has a responsibility to work with the major party or parties to put together an Executive that functions. The Executive must be able to set out what it wants for Northern Ireland and what the agreed objectives can be.

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